Dynasty fantasy football rookie lottery tickets might be the most critical part of your fantasy draft this season. The talent pool dries up quickly, pushing up players who would normally be late-round value picks in a typical season. The result is that our dynasty lottery tickets are even deeper this season.
Last year, a player like Nicholas Singleton would have been a nice value pick. Instead, we’re all reaching on players, and Singleton, who will likely be third on the depth chart to start the season, is a second-round pick. No judgment, because I definitely contributed to his raising average draft position (ADP) this week.
Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers
The big question fantasy managers have is: Who are the later names who could pay off big in dynasty?
Justin Joly (TE – DEN) | Dynasty ECR: TE40
Personally, I wanted better for Justin Joly. He was one of my favorite tight end prospects, but Denver isn’t exactly an ideal landing spot. Quite frankly, I hate it. However, given the lack of depth in rookie drafts this year, it’s a great time to invest in talent you truly believe in rather than just drafting those in the best situation.
We’re consistently seeing the NFL shift towards tight ends who are essentially just big receivers, and Joly fits that profile. He’s a receiver who converted to tight end in college, giving him a clear advantage in alignment versatility and strong route running.
Joly has excellent hands and wins through contested catches. While his blocking isn’t elite, it’s workable. Fantasy analysts everywhere have tried to predict the elusive “Sean Payton joker role” to no avail for multiple seasons. Could it be Joly?
The real question we must ask is whether there’s enough room in this crowded offense, particularly given that the tight end role has been very minimal in Payton’s Denver offense.
Under Payton, the Broncos have been near the bottom of the league in target share to tight ends every season. We did see an increase last year with the addition of Evan Engram, but it was still well below average.
However, a young, versatile athlete could force an increase in usage. Engram is 31, and Joly’s only other competition is Adam Trautman. Joly will certainly get a crack at competing.
Max Klare (TE – LAR) | Dynasty ECR: TE21
It’s no surprise I have multiple tight ends as lottery tickets this year because it was absolutely the deepest position in this year’s draft. While the Day 2 run of tight ends was incredibly frustrating, we can still see long-term value from this group, and Max Klare could be a hidden gem.
On the surface, it feels like a horrific landing spot. However, our theme with this article is trusting talent over landing spot. Much like Justin Joly, Klare is a clear receiving tight end. He’s slightly undersized, but arguably a fine blocker. The difference between Klare and Joly is that Joly can logically supplant the Broncos’ existing tight ends. Klare must compete with four regularly used tight ends.
There is still hope. When we talk about systems that allow multiple tight ends to be relevant, we typically discuss 12 Personnel. However, the Rams use 13 Personnel at an absolutely absurd clip — nearly twice that of the next team — which allows all tight ends to shine at some point.
Klare will get snaps in 2026. It’s just an extremely difficult uphill battle for weekly fantasy relevancy. However, beyond 2026 is another story. Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson will be free agents in 2027. Tyler Higbee is 33. The Rams will certainly continue to add tight ends, but if Klare can separate himself from Terrance Ferguson, he has a shot of paying off long-term. Klare is a true dynasty investment for the future.
Cade Klubnik (QB – NYJ) | Dynasty ECR: QB49
As your resident Clemson alumnus, I’m not here to defend Cade Klubnik’s 2025 season. It wouldn’t be the first time a Clemson quarterback had a dramatic drop in NFL draft stock. However, Klubnik wasn’t the only Tiger to underperform in 2025. The version of Klubnik we saw in 2024 may be the true version that could translate to the NFL.
From a dynasty draft perspective, you can’t draft Fernando Mendoza without a specific pick. Ty Simpson has the draft capital and an ideal team, but is a backup until Matthew Stafford retires. Do we want to roster any Jets quarterback? No. However, we should acknowledge that the Jets did take the steps to give their starting quarterback of the future a fantastic arsenal of weapons: Garrett Wilson, Kenyon Sadiq, Omar Cooper Jr. and Breece Hall.
Geno Smith is slated to be the Jets’ starter. However, Smith has been unable to recapture that 2022 epic comeback season, and at age 35, the odds aren’t in his favor.
If Smith struggles, Klubnik’s competition is Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook and possibly Russell Wilson. I’d feel more comfortable with Klubnik’s prospects if the Jets had a stronger coaching staff, but once upon a time, Klubnik was a potential first overall pick. He’s the true definition of a lottery pick.
Kevin Coleman Jr. (WR – MIA) | Dynasty ECR: WR135 & Caleb Douglas (WR – MIA) | Dynasty ECR: WR124
The dynasty community seems firmly planted on Chris Bell as our preferred target for long-term value in Miami’s receiving corps, and Bell is a clear second-round pick in dynasty drafts. However, Bell is coming off an ACL injury, and Miami is blatantly rebuilding.
I liken Bell’s situation to that of Jameson Williams, who came into the league off an ACL injury and was slow-rolled into late-season minimal usage. Bell should take a similar path. I have the utmost confidence that Bell could be the Dolphins’ No. 1 WR of the future. However, if he is eased in, someone other than De’Von Achane must catch passes in 2025.
The Miami receiving corps veterans aren’t exactly the most inspiring group — Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell. Miami is a free-for-all for targets, and anyone could step up, making the other rookie receivers valid lottery picks.
Kevin Coleman Jr. is the better lean for a true dynasty lottery ticket. He’s quarterback-friendly with extremely reliable hands and good in-game speed. While his route tree isn’t diversified, he’d be a clear slot receiver and has proven college usage.
However, Caleb Douglas does have the preferred draft capital. Now, by all accounts, that draft capital was an egregious reach. However, Douglas will have a shot to prove us all wrong. He has the baseline qualities you want in a No. 1 WR — he’s 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds with good speed. At his ADP, you can’t beat the value versus draft capital.
Demond Claiborne (RB – MIN) | Dynasty ECR: RB62
At this point, I’m not entirely sure if Demond Claiborne qualifies as a lottery ticket, considering his ADP has been steamed up to the mid-third round and is frequently drafted in the second round. However, I’d be remiss to exclude him.
Claiborne’s path to fantasy relevancy is clear. He’s the heir apparent to Aaron Jones and should have a Day 1 active roster spot because of his special teams upside. Jones is a liability to make it through the season at his age, and Jordan Mason cannot contribute as a receiver and is a subpar blocker. Claiborne is undersized but could easily have fantasy value in his rookie season.
A few additional names to keep on speed dial:
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